What is a cookie?
A cookie is a file that is downloaded onto your computer when you visit certain sites (in this case, master’s degree web pages on the UB website). Cookies enable a website to store and retrieve information about the browsing habits of a user or device and can in some cases be used to identify a particular user, depending on the information they contain or the way in which the device is used.
What cookies are installed and why?
When you visit web pages on official master’s degrees taught at the University of Barcelona, the following cookies are installed:
- Analytics cookies: these are used to count the number of users visiting the page, to allow a statistical analysis of how the site is used and the users’ browsing habits.
- Advertising cookies: these are used to maximize the efficiency with which advertising space on third-party sites is used, to tailor adverts to the content of the page you have visited previously. They enable us to analyse your browsing habits and to display the most relevant information to your interest profile.
To examine your use of web pages on official master’s degrees we install Google Analytics, Google Adwords and Facebook cookies. In the forty-five days after you visit master’s degree pages, you will see advertising related to those degree programme when you visit third-party sites that belong to the remarketing networks of Google, Inc. (the owner of Google Analytics and Google Adwords) and Facebook, Inc. (the owner of Facebook and Instagram).
How can I disable the use of cookies?
You can configure your browser to either block the installation of cookies or to delete cookies when you close the browser. These settings can be changed by following the instructions below:
- Microsoft Internet Explorer: Tools > Internet options > Privacy
- Firefox: Tools > Options > Privacy
- Google Chrome: Settings > Privacy
- Safari: Edit > Preferences > Privacy
Remember that you can use the Help section of the toolbar in most browsers to obtain more information about how to change your settings. Many browsers include a private browsing mode that automatically deletes all of the information that may have been stored on your computer while browsing (such as cookies) when you close the browser.
This mode has different names in different browsers:
- Internet Explorer: InPrivate browsing
- FireFox: private browsing
- Google Chrome: incognito browsing
- Safari: private browsing
To find out how to activate this mode, see the Help section of your browser.
Who uses the information gathered by cookies?
The information stored by cookies is collected by Google, Inc. and Facebook, Inc., which provide platforms that their subscribers – in this case, the University of Barcelona – use to analyse the data compiled.